Scoliosis and Massage

Hello fellow Massage Therapist's!! I have a client who has had nerve pain in her low back for months now. The pain radiates into the front of her left leg. She gets relief after massage but not for long. Her spine seems to be twisting at the lumbar and sacral. I have done so many techniques however, I am feeling stumped. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!!

Replies to This Discussion

HI Mary-Margaret, no worries on the delay! I figure everyone is busy working on clients. :) Thanks for the info - that stretch sounds really useful. I do a LOT of myofascial release work on hips these days, and I think a lot of it goes back to the psoas.

I am in Stillwater, OK. We used to have a massage school here in town (associated with the Vo-Tech) but the program was shut down. I think the "conservative" folks running the school got tired of dealing with the very strange massage people! They had a hard time dealing with that many free spirits...Anyway, what that means is that most of the MT's in town were trained there and so most do "deep tissue". I feel like there is no one I can go to here because I don't want to be dug on any more. Venting, I guess! It's frustrating though...

I've added Upledger's CranioSacral Therapy, just got done with the 4th class in the core series. And I've started teaching myself MFR from Advanced-Training's DVD's. That work is really transforming people.

Morning Therese, I spent five years clicking my heels trying to get myself back out of Kansas so have a little understanding of the OK. conservatisim. Native Northern California girl here...imagine my surprise!!! High Five to you for REALLY following where this healing work takes you...into the world of CranioSacral and Myofascial release work. Certainly hear you when you say you don't want to be 'dug on' anymore. For me, it's that anymore, I find it all too distracting in an unclothed session where the ambiant temperature (no matter how warm the room) chills my freshly oiled or lotioned skin and finds me focusing on the fact that I'd rather it be nice and toasty like the rest of my body under the sheet is! Picky, picky (*~*).

Do you think you might teach MFR or Cranial Sacral in your area...maybe even informally? At least that way you can maybe get the work done on yourself that works better for you. I'm sort of in that place too as far as the Singing Bowl Sound Wave Therapy I do in my practice. Out of space here...time to go I suppose. Until the next time...

My system of massage is simple...I dont think as much as you guys? Regardless of the presenting problem or symptoms , I just look for sore spots, and eliminate them.. And more often then not..Their presenting symptoms or problem they came in with, just goes away.

I think it's pretty safe to say...we all look for the sore spots and eliminate them. In addition to that...more often than not...their presenting symptoms and problems...go away. It's the "when they don't" that was the chat and the offering of things we have found that have worked or have been relatively successful. It's good that we ALL showed up to be Healing Arts Practitioners and "get" the power of healing touch......................there's LOTS to help heal these days!

Hi Mary-Margaret, my turn to apologize for the delay in replying! It's been a madhouse around here. I have less trouble with the temperature of the room than I do with the mentality that force is the only way to get a release. Most of us here in town went to the same school and so were taught by the same people. For some reason everyone sticks with the deep tissue work but they do it wrong! They don't hold a space and wait for a release, they just go after it. I guess we've all been there so no need to continue!

I haven't thought about training people myself, but I am working on getting a series of Advanced-Trainings MFR classes in my immediate area so I don't have to drive 12 hours to take the classes! Hopefully that will get some folks around here up and running...

Hey Gordon, I have some thoughts and hopefully Mary-Margaret can add hers too.

IMO the psoas needs to be released for any of the following: Any torsion of the pelvis, lordosis, scoliosis, tension in the ESG's in the lower thoracic spine, low back pain (QL's), hip pain of any sort, unusual menstrual cramps, some breathing issues are related to the psoas because the diaphram and the psoas muscles all tie into T12.

That is not an exhaustive list but it's what I can think of right now.

You are totally right on Therese! "Allow the release to happen"...what an amazing concept! ((*~*))

Therese Schwartz said:

Hi Mary-Margaret, my turn to apologize for the delay in replying! It's been a madhouse around here. I have less trouble with the temperature of the room than I do with the mentality that force is the only way to get a release. Most of us here in town went to the same school and so were taught by the same people. For some reason everyone sticks with the deep tissue work but they do it wrong! They don't hold a space and wait for a release, they just go after it. I guess we've all been there so no need to continue!

I haven't thought about training people myself, but I am working on getting a series of Advanced-Trainings MFR classes in my immediate area so I don't have to drive 12 hours to take the classes! Hopefully that will get some folks around here up and running...

A pretty good "no fail" quick test for the Psoas......gently touch the Anterior side where the thigh and pelvis connect, if the client jumps or squeals....ding, ding, ding! It may be tender or "tender/ticklish" and be very sensitive to touch. Another test place is inner thigh, about a hand length above the knee. Applying pressure here will not be a "warm fuzzy" either. Both of these can be checked througout the session...when there is no longer any "squeal or kickback"...you've successfully relaxed the main offender and more than likely the connecting offenders because you've been tracking their nuances and patterns as (like a matrix) they weave their way through the body/mind/spirit.

Therese Schwartz said:

Hey Gordon, I have some thoughts and hopefully Mary-Margaret can add hers too.

IMO the psoas needs to be released for any of the following: Any torsion of the pelvis, lordosis, scoliosis, tension in the ESG's in the lower thoracic spine, low back pain (QL's), hip pain of any sort, unusual menstrual cramps, some breathing issues are related to the psoas because the diaphram and the psoas muscles all tie into T12.

That is not an exhaustive list but it's what I can think of right now.

I haven't seen the Psoas book, but I'm going to guess that Liz Koch might have explained what has become my Psoas motto, which is "where the Psoas goes....you ARE going to follow"! King Pin....absolutely!!! Therese Schwartz said:

Yes, but if you don't address the psoas you might miss the king pin! Liz Koch's "The Psoas Book" changed my perspective on the psoas muscle.